Forensic Team Exhumes 105 Bodies in Probe of 2025 Yelwata Killings

By: Zagazola Makama

A team of federal medical pathologists has exhumed 105 bodies from mass graves in Yelwata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue, as part of ongoing investigations into the June 13, 2025 attack on the area.

Security sources told Zagazola Makama that the team, led by Prof. Saad Ahmed from the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abuja, arrived in Yelwata on Feb. 23, 2026, alongside operatives of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja.

The sources said the delegation included members of the Presidential Medical Delegation and worked in collaboration with officials of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

According to the sources, locations of the graves were identified on the same day under adequate security provided by the Benue State Police Command.

The exhumation exercise commenced on Feb. 24, during which seven bodies were recovered.

The team continued the exercise on Feb. 25 and Feb. 26, exhuming additional remains, bringing the total number of corpses recovered to 105 from 13 mass graves located in and around Yelwata community.

The exercise was concluded on Feb. 26.

Police sources said the exhumation was conducted to facilitate forensic inquests and strengthen evidence in the ongoing prosecution of suspects linked to the killings.

“Seven corpses were initially exhumed by the IRT-led federal investigators for inquest. The exercise continued and further development will be communicated,” a security source said.

The deployment of forensic experts followed proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja, where nine suspects were arraigned on Feb. 2, 2026, before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik in connection with the Yelwata attack.

The court had emphasised the importance of forensic evidence to ensure a fair trial and proper determination of culpability.

Security officials said adequate measures were put in place to ensure the exercise was conducted peacefully and without disruption.

The June 13, 2025 attack on Yelwata community reportedly resulted in the deaths of several residents and displaced many others, prompting widespread condemnation and calls for justice.

The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation had earlier commenced prosecution of suspects arrested in connection with the incident.

Authorities said further updates would be communicated as investigations progress.

Forensic Team Exhumes 105 Bodies in Probe of 2025 Yelwata Killings

26 Militias Reportedly Killed in ISGS Attack in Niger’s Tillabéri Region as the country faces unprecedented security collapse

By: Zagazola Makama

No fewer than 26 members of a local militia were reportedly killed on Feb. 26 during a large-scale attack by suspected fighters of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) in Niger’s volatile Tillabéri Region.

Local sources told Zagazola Makama that the attack occurred in the Anzourou area, where armed assailants targeted militia positions across four villages to Doukou Makani, Doukou Djindé, Doukou Koira-Tegui and Doukou Saraou.

According to preliminary reports, the gunmen carried out coordinated assaults on the communities, resulting in significant casualties among members of the self-defence groups operating in the area.

Residents said the militias had been formed by local communities to protect themselves against recurring attacks by extremist groups operating in the region.

Tillabéri, located in western Niger near the borders with Mali and Burkina Faso, has been a hotspot of militant violence in recent years, with armed groups frequently targeting both security forces and civilian populations.

Niger is confronting an unprecedented security crisis, with northern regions increasingly falling under the control of armed groups, foreign rebels, and jihadist factions. The state’s territorial integrity is under severe threat, with grave implications for neighbouring countries, including Nigeria.

Since the July 2023 coup, Niger has witnessed a dramatic deterioration in security. Once largely confined to the tri-border area with Mali and Libya, insurgency and criminal networks now operate across vast stretches of the country, establishing quasi-permanent bases, checkpoints, and logistical corridors.

Recent clashes between Libyan rebel factions, including Katibat 604 and the Southern Revolutionaries, deep inside Niger’s territory highlight the scale of the challenge. Reports indicate these operations extend up to 200 kilometres from the border, conducted with helicopters, drones, and ground troops, capturing rebels and consolidating strategic corridors such as the La Salvador Pass a key conduit for arms, illicit goods, and militant movements.

It gathered that the Libyan operations, reportedly claimed by the 604 Brigade, are carried out independently of Nigerien forces. The Nigerien National Army or local security units were absent during these incursions, reflecting the limitations of the Nigerien army in securing its borders. The operation reportedly left five rebels dead and ten detained, including Moussa Worodougou, the younger brother of rebel leader Mahamat Worodougou.

Northern Niger has effectively become a “no man’s land,” with jihadist groups such as ISWAP, EIGS, and JNIM consolidating positions and exploiting weak state presence. Villages and towns, including Dosso, Tillabéri, Tahoua, and parts of the tri-border zone, are increasingly isolated, turning rural areas into hunting grounds for armed actors. Civilians, security personnel, and infrastructure are targeted with IEDs, ambushes, and raids, while law enforcement and army patrols remain sporadic and reactive.

The crisis is compounded by the presence of foreign-backed rebel movements like FACT and CCMSR, operating openly in Niger’s north with tacit protection or coordination with the Niamey junta. Analysts warn that these developments create a permissive environment where armed factions can reorganize, move freely, and threaten regional stability. The situation poses direct implications for Nigeria, particularly in its northern border states, as these corridors facilitate cross-border infiltration, arms smuggling, and militant movement.

Zagazola argue that the Nigerien army faces critical challenges in asserting authority, maintaining supply lines, and controlling territory in the north. Without robust coordination, intelligence-led operations, and international, the continued fragmentation of authority may allow armed groups to entrench themselves further, undermining both national and regional security.

Zagazola stress that the crisis is no longer merely a security issue. It reflects a wider institutional weakness, exposing governance failures, fragile command structures, and the limits of military capacity.

For Nigeria, the porous borders and neighboring instability has been enabling the insurgent groups with sanctuary which complicate the country’s counterterrorism operations, and amplify the risk of cross-border attacks like what we have been witnessing in Kebbi, Sokoto, Kwara and Niger state.

The Nigerien army, despite constrained resources, continues limited patrols and counter-insurgency efforts, but the scale of armed groups’ presence and the sophistication of cross-border networks demand sustained regional and international collaboration.

Zagazola emphasize that failure to address these strategic vulnerabilities risks turning Niger into a permanent sanctuary for militants, with destabilizing consequences across the Sahel and for Nigeria’s northeastern and Northwestern frontier.

26 Militias Reportedly Killed in ISGS Attack in Niger’s Tillabéri Region as the country faces unprecedented security collapse

FG Endorses, Pledges Support for Nigeria Press Council’s National Economic and Toursim Conpendium

VP Shettima: President Tinubu, Friend Of The Media, Remains Firm Believer Of Press Freedom

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has pledged the Federal Government’s support for the Nigeria Press Council’s national compendium on economic and tourism potentials across Nigeria.

This is as the Vice President described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a friend of the media who is a firm believer of independence of the press.

This, he said, explains why the Tinubu administration has, in the past three years, continued to promote an environment that is conducive for journalists to carry out their duties without harassment.

Senator Shettima stated this on Thursday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the Nigeria Press Council (NPC) led by its Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Dili Ezughah, on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa.

Noting that President Tinubu has remained a friend of the media, the Vice President recalled how the President had used his personal resources to assist media organizations.

According to him, people have been making libelous and provocative utterances, with incisive vituperations, against the administration and are allowed to get away with them because the President is very tolerant.

“The President is a friend of the media. He used to assist them from his personal resources, with newsprints and other support mechanisms. He is also a publisher. So, he knows the ecosystem very well, and he believes in the independence of the press.

“For the past three years, have you heard of any harassment of journalists? His tolerance threshold is so high that people who are making incendiary remarks are allowed to have their day for peace to reign in the country,” he stated.

Pledging presidential support for the Council’s bid to get official national endorsement of the publication it is currently working on, VP Shettima also promised to appeal to governors of the 36 states of the federation to key into the project.

“The subnationals own the land, own the people. Their role is very pivotal in really pushing this country forward,” he stated, emphasizing why a buy-in from the governors is pivotal to the book project.

The VP further noted that the national compendium titled, “Nigeria: Documenting the Economic and Tourism Profiles of the 36 States and the FCT,” is a welcome development, expressing hope that the publication would sell Nigeria to the world.

“If you go to other countries, you will see similar books at the airport stands. In terms of the quality of the job, the writings are so top-notch that we can embrace it as our national treasure, and see to it that it is massively printed and circulated to our embassies,” the VP observed.

Earlier, the Minister of Art, Culture, and the Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, thanked the Vice President for his continued leadership and support for initiatives that strengthen Nigeria’s economic and cultural positioning.

According to her, the publication is particularly significant for the tourism and creative economy sectors, as Nigeria’s tourism assets, cultural heritage, and creative industries represent major drivers of economic diversification.

She, however, explained that for these sectors to attract investment and gain global recognition, they must be documented and presented in a structured and credible format such as the compendium, thereby bringing visibility to Nigeria’s cultural sites, tourism destinations, creative hubs, and heritage assets across all thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory.

Also, Bauchi State Deputy Governor, Mohammed Auwal Jatau, on behalf of the state Governor, Bala Mohammed, expressed gratitude to the country’s leadership, noting that if the document is approved, every state is likely to benefit based on its respective tourism potential.

For his part, the Executive Secretary of the NPC, Dr. Ezughah, expressed gratitude to the Vice President for granting an audience to the NPC Planning Committee while acknowledging his consistent support for sub-national economic development and national coordination.

He explained that the national compendium being developed spotlights Nigeria’s economic and tourism profiles and requires the Vice President’s strategic direction on the document.

FG Endorses, Pledges Support for Nigeria Press Council’s National Economic and Toursim Conpendium